Complete Guide to Stamp Duty

What is stamp duty?

‘Stamp Duty Land Tax’ (otherwise known as Stamp Duty, is a one-off tax you have to pay when buying a property in England and Northern Ireland. Homebuyers in Scotland and Wales pay ‘Land and Buildings Transaction Tax’ and ‘Land Transaction Tax’ instead.

Stamp duty is charged as a percentage of the amount paid for the property when it’s bought or transferred. So how much you’ll pay will depend on how much you’re paying for the home.

How much stamp duty will I have to pay?

If you’re a first time buyer, you won’t have to pay stamp duty on homes under £300,000.

For all other buyers, you’ll need to pay stamp duty on homes worth over £125,000. How much you get taxed rises with the property value:

You’ll need to pay your stamp duty within 30 days of completing your property purchase. If you miss the deadline, HMRC will charge you a fine plus interest - not what you need at an already expensive time!

What’s the stamp duty on second properties?

Expect to pay a bigger rate of stamp duty with a second home - this includes buy-to-lets. Stamp duty on second homes adds 3% on top of the normal rate.

However, if you sell your main residence and move into your second property within three years, you can claim this stamp duty back. 

What’s the stamp duty for first-time buyers?

If you’re a first time buyer, you can take advantage of paying no stamp duty on properties worth up to £300,000.

If you’re buying with someone else, then you’ll both need to be first time buyers to take advantage of this discount. Don’t forget, you’ll still need to complete what’s called an SDLT Stamp Duty Land Tax) return, even if you don’t have anything to pay. It’s just a process - your Mortgage Expert can help you with this.

Are there any exemptions for stamp duty?

There are a few circumstances where you might not have to submit a SDLT return:

• No money actually changed hands, for instance if the property was gifted to you (though this doesn’t apply if you swapped houses with someone else)

• If the home was left to you in someone’s will

• If the home was transferred to you after a divorce or separation

• You bought the property for less than £40,000 

• You bought a new lease of seven years or more (as long as it cost less than £40,000 and the annual rent is less than £1,000)

• You used alternative arrangements to finance the purchase i.e. religious laws

Stamp duty can feel like a bit of a maze. A mortgage broker will be able to advise you on where you stand with stamp duty. Make an enquiry to speak to one of our friendly experts.